The Shadow of Horus
by Saria1
Summary: Note: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for the merchant.


A figure clothed in black stood gazing into the night sky, his dark eyes reflecting the stars. The imagined cry of a falcon made Ardeth Bay turn, then sadly lower his eyes. For one moment the Med - jai chief had believed that by some miracle his own falcon , Horus , had been resurrected. Ardeth straightened his shoulders and began walking back toward the O'Connel's camp.  
" Why all the doom and gloom?" inquired Rick O'Connel cheerfully , looking up. "You look like someone just di -" he stopped short, remembering Horus.  
"Rick!" Evelyn reprimanded in a harsh whisper. Ardeth , just beginning to sit down , straightened.  
" Uh - umm…sorry…" Rick began . Ardeth shook his head and went into his tent .  
" I can't believe you!" Evy burst out. "How could you forget about Horus?"  
" I'm sorry !" It was a mistake!" he exclaimed. "It was just a bird ," Rick muttered sulkily. Evy ignored him.  
" I'm going to bed," she announced, and left Rick sitting by the fire.  
" Great," he said, kicking dirt onto the fire and following Evy into the tent.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Ardeth rolled over underneath his blanket , thinking. Why was he even staying with the O'Connels? He could have already met the other Med - jai outside of Thebes , instead of lagging behind with the adventurous family . And Rick , talking about Horus - Ardeth stopped thinking and went to sleep.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
"Ar -r -r-e we-ee th - ere yet?" Alex O'Connel called over to his mum and dad , bouncing as his camel jogged along.  
" Just over the next dune , I think !" Evy called back . Alex nodded - not that anyone could tell .   
" I- I I'll r-race you!" he yelled at Ardeth , the Med - jai lord who he hero-worshipped. The youngest O'Connel had been in total awe of Ardeth ever since he had led all the Med - jai into battle against Anubis's army , prepared to fight until he was no longer able to lift his sword. Alex never showed it , of course.  
" All right!" Ardeth shouted , coughing as he choked on a mouthful of sand. The dark - coloured horse he rode turned and galloped up alongside Alex's dusty brown camel . " From the top of the dune to Thebes!" The animals stopped sharply at the top of the dune .  
" Okay," said Alex . "Ready , set , go!"  
Boy and man urged their animals forward , striving to gain the lead. As they neared Thebes, Alex pulled ahead. Ardeth smiled to himself and watched as the camel galloped into the city , accidentally breaking a few clay jars sitting by the sides of marketplace stalls. Evy and Rick let their camels lope lazily across the ridge , until they spotted various merchants shouting angrily at Alex .  
" Oh , no ," Evy murmured under her breath as her camel galloped toward them. " What has he done now?"  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
" Ten pounds ! " Evy exclaimed as she threw things out of her bag and into a drawer. " Ten pounds for a few dusty pieces of clay!"  
" Calm down , Evy ," Rick said soothingly . "It was only ten pounds ." Evy ignored him and stuffed her one bag under the hotel bed.  
" Next time , be more careful , okay?" Rick advised his only son . Alex nodded vehemently. "Go unpack your stuff," he told the boy, giving him a nudge towards the closet. Alex obeyed quickly , not eager to have his mum and his dad yelling at him . Rick left Alex and went into the other room , which Evy had gone into. He found her sitting in a chair , staring out the window.  
" I'm sorry about yelling at Alex . Its just - well , I'm a bit worked up now , what with Bainbridge scholars sending me here and all ."  
"Why should that make you nervous?" Rick asked , crossing the room to stand beside her. "You've found dozens of things they've put down wrong. You shouldn't worry."  
" You're right ," she said , smiling up at him . " They got the places where the Book of the Dead and the Book of Ah-mun-rah all mixed up-" Rick nodded and pulled her out of the chair, brushing his hand down her face. Alex shut the door as they began to kiss , whispering "Oh , please ." He walked over to the window and looked out. Just beyond the very edge of the city he could see a mass of black ; the Med - jai . Wishing he could go explore but knowing he would get in trouble if he did , Alex flopped down in a chair and watched the city below.  
·* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Ardeth started inwardly as someone touched his shoulder . Turning , he saw that it was Jendi , one of the younger Med - jai warriors .   
" I - I heard about Horus . I am very sorry for your loss ," Jendi said apologetically . Ardeth shook his head , thick black hair falling from his shoulders.   
" I appreciate your sympathy . But you speak as if it were your fault he died ," Ardeth said , looking up at Jendi questioningly .   
" I do not blame myself for his death , but I know how much Horus meant to you ," the young Med -jai said. Ardeth stood , placing a hand on Jendi's shoulder.  
" Even you , my friend , could not know what Horus meant to me . No one can understand why I care so much for a bird." With that , Ardeth walked toward the Med - jai chiefs , leaving Jendi to ponder his words.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
"And stay close to your father , I don't want you wandering off ," Evy instructed her son as she tied back her hair , glancing at him in the mirror . Turning around , she looked at Rick . " Don't let him beg you into spending too much money , " Evy ordered . "Do you both understand?"  
" Yes," father and son said in unison .   
" Good. I have to go look at a scroll that the Bainbridge scholars found . I'll be home in time for dinner. I hope," she said , looking out the window at the sun, which was already beginning its daily journey to the horizon . She leaned over and kissed Alex on the cheek , then kissed Rick.  
" I'll see you later ," she called cheerfully as the door closed behind her . Alex looked up at his father.  
" Lets go ," he said , grinning mischeviously.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
"Oooh , look at that!" Alex yelled , pointing to a multi-coloured monkey that sat chattering in a cage . He dashed over , sticking his fingers through the bars.  
" Alex ," Rick called after him. " Come back here!" Alex yanked his fingers out of the cage as the monkey tried to bite him . "What did your mother say about running off?"   
" Sorry ," Alex said sulkily. " I just wanted to see it ."  
" Its okay ," Rick said. " Just don't do it again ."  
Suddenly Alex gasped .   
"Look! Look over there!" Alex exclaimed , grabbing his father's hand and yanking it . "It's a bird! A falcon! It looks just like Horus!"  
"What?" asked Rick , startled .  
" We have to get it! For Ardeth!" Alex continued , dragging Rick over to the stall where a falcon sat perched on a branched .   
" I - I don't think Ardeth will want another bird ,"  
Rick said , looking at the scrawny bird.  
" But its perfect !" Alex whined , examining it carefully .  
" Well…." Rick said reluctantly.  
"Pleeeeeease?" Alex begged , clasping his hands together. Rick turned to the man who stood by the stall , haggling with a woman over the price of a clay jar .   
" Hey!" Rick called , tapping him on the shoulder. "How much is the bird ?" he asked , pointing towards it.  
"Fifteen pounds ," he said in very thickly accented English . " And your watch ," he added as an after though , peering at Rick's wrist .   
"Fifteen pounds ?" Rick exclaimed. " That scrawny thing isn't worth five! I'll give you seven pounds , and that's it. No watch ." The man considered the offer , then nodded .  
" Fine ," he said . Rick pulled several pound notes out of his wallet and handed them to the merchant . The man grinned , revealing several missing teeth .  
"Thanks Dad!" Alex exclaimed , untying the falcons jesse's and letting it climb onto his arm . "Let's go back to the hotel so we can clean it up!"  
"Evy's gonna kill me for this," Rick muttered , following Alex back towards the hotel.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
" You bought a bird?!" Evy exclaimed as soon as she walked into the room. "Why on earth would you buy a bird?"  
"It was Alex's idea! He begged me into it!" Rick said, pointing toward the bathroom . Splashing sounds could be heard , and then a yelp .   
"Alex? Are you alright?" Evy called , rushing into the bathroom . She found him trying to force the bird into a sink filled with soapy water . "What are you doing?"  
" Dad said he was dirty , so I'm getting him clean!" Alex panted , finally releasing his hold on the very wet falcon . It immediately flapped away , spraying everyone with water . Evy wiped water off of her face.  
" That was not a good idea," she said , wiping off Alex's face with a towel . " Rick," she called . "Exactly how much did you pay for this bird?"  
"Only seven pounds ," he said , walking over to the falcon and carefully placing it in a small cage Evy had failed to notice .   
" And what do we need a bird for?"  
" It was my idea ," Alex burst out. " I wanted to get it for Ardeth . You know, because Horus died."  
"I don't think Ardeth will want a new bird," she said.  
" That's what I tried to tell him ," Rick called from the other room , which had moved the cage into .  
" I see. Well , we'll have to wait and ask Ardeth the next time we see him ," Evy said , drying her hands .   
"Would you please clean this mess up , Alex?" she ordered , walking into the other room .  
" Alright ," he said gloomily .  
" You know," Rick said to Evy as she paced the room , " it might not be such a good idea to tell Ardeth."  
"Why not?"  
"He's probably still kind of touchy about Horus, you know."  
"That's true…lets invite him to dinner this Saturday!"  
"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who comes to dinner parties ," said Rick doubtfully.  
"It won't be a party , just us!" Evy exclaimed. "I'll hire a messenger tomorrow. We can eat in the hotel restaurant." Alex walked into the room , done cleaning up the bathroom .   
"Ardeth's coming here?" he asked excitedly.   
"We're inviting him to dinner this Saturday . He'll probably come," Evy explained.  
"Cool ! We can give him his new bird then!" Alex exclaimed. Evy and Rick exchanged glances.  
"We'll see," said Rick. " Now go get ready for bed." Alex ran off to get his pajamas.  
"I hope this works out," Evy said , sighing and laying down on the bed.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
" Thank you for the dinner . It was very good. But I must go now," Ardeth Bay said , rising from the table in the hotel restaurant .  
" Wait!" Alex burst out . "You can't go yet ! I have to show you something. Wait right here." With that , the boy dashed up the staircase to their rooms. Evelyn and Rick looked at eachother. Ardeth looked at Evy . A few moments later Alex came racing back down the stairs , holding a cloth in front of one arm .  
"Come see what I have!" Alex called from the bottom of the stairs . The Med - jai chief frowned his confusion and started to walk over to the grinning child with powerful steps . Suddenly , Alex lifted the cloth , revealing the bird , now clean . Ardeth stopped dead in his tracks and lifted his arm .  
"Horus," he whispered as the bird soared over and landed gracefully on the offered arm.  
"What are you talking about?" Alex called loudly, trotting over. "That isn't Horus , is it Mum?" he asked Evy , who had come up behind Ardeth .   
" I don-" Ardeth held up his hand to silence her .  
Gently , he lifted the bird's wings , motion for Evy to look .  
She bent her head and peered at the birds wings .   
"Look , Rick!" she gasped . Underneath the bird's left wing was a tattoo that exactly matched the one under Ardeth's eyes . Only two inches away from it was a scar from a bullet hole.   
"It is Horus !" exclaimed Alex , who had also looked.  
Rick walked over and glanced at the bird .  
"Well I'll be damned ," he breathed , looking up at the broadly grinning Ardeth.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
End of Part 1   
  
  
  
  
  
  



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